Trudy Simpson, Freelance Writer
PARISH COUNCILS are talking tough in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Ivan, warning Jamai-cans that they will not be tolerating building and environmental breaches.
Some Parish Councils are also warning that they will be relocating by "whatever means necessary" residents who live in extremely vulnerable areas and yet refuse offers to relocate.
Mayors at the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), Westmoreland, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine Parish Councils said they will be strictly enforcing building codes, boosting the numbers of building inspectors, which many said were woefully inadequate with Westmore-land for example, having only one building inspector and putting other measures in place to safeguard Jamaican lives and protect the environment.
Among the communities seen as extremely vulnerable are Russia, Brighton, Little Bay, Whars Road and McNeill Land in Westmoreland, sections of New River in St. Elizabeth; Portland Cottage, some sections of Milk River, including nearby Farquhar's Beach and sections of Rocky Point, in Clarendon; sections of Mammee River, Tavern, Harriman Close in Jacks Hill and some communities along Hope River in Kingston and St. Andrew and sections of Hellshire and Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine.
The matter of building code breaches was first raised in a Gleaner Editors' Forum last week in Clarendon. The Councils said that they were tired of having persons flout building codes by: 1) opting to build without Council approval and 2) building in or near the swamps, the sea or by riverbeds or in other areas which are clearly unsuitable for residents.
"We have tried various suggestions and there have been several meetings with residents but they continue to stay there even though they are flooded out every time there is heavy rainfall," explained Delford G. Morgan, Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland on Friday.
"It's difficult to imagine that people would risk their lives and the lives of their children that way but they do. Our present plan is to acquire low income lands and sub-divide them and we will have to do whatever is necessary within the law to relocate those who don't want to go voluntarily," Mayor Morgan said. The Council, he said, was working with the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) to begin relocation projects, starting with Russia, a squatter community of about 1,500 people, which sprang up on swamp land, is bordered by rivers and faces the sea. Residents have also tangled with crocodiles which live in the swamp.
HAVING PROBLEMS
Relocation is also in the pipeline for residents in some sections of flood-prone New River in St. Elizabeth. Franklyn Whitter, Mayor of Black River, said about half of the community is built near the river and would need to be relocated. However, the Parish Council has not only been fighting a battle with residents, who refuse to move but is also having problems because the law does not allow the Parish Council to stop development in the area, Mr. Witter said.
"We have decided to put a moratorium on that area to curtail building. When we checked, the law only allowed us a moratorium one mile from the main road (Santa Cruz) and New River is more than one mile and that has affected our effort," Mr. Witter said. "We are now going to the Ministry (of Local Government) to see if any adjustment that can be made to the prevailing rules and see if we can effect the moratorium."
Rising waters following Hurricane Ivan have led to some 500 residents being evacuated but plans to make conditions better have been thwarted by residents who own land in the area but have built near to the Black River and constructed their homes without the Council's approval, Mayor Witter said. He said earlier this week, residents chased away a technical team from the National Irrigation Authority, which was commissioned to relocate some of the existing drains in New River to reduce flooding. He said the residents indicated that the changes would make things worse for their community.
He added that land for relocation is available nearby but the land is owned by the Ministry of Land and Environment and so the Parish Council cannot make a move without the Ministry's permission. He said the Land and Environment Ministry promised to help but in the past six months nothing has been done.
In the meantime, Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, is also taking a hardline approach, warning that the KSAC, which recorded $300 million in damage to structures, will be increasingly monitoring building construction in the Corporate Area and will 'take action' against persons who continued to build in flood prone areas. He said that the KSAC will be getting assistance to provide relief to persons who suffered losses but warned that "one condition of any assistance from the KSAC would have to see that persons living in flood prone areas move to safer areas," he said.
